Andor might be a direct prequel to Rogue One, but it does have one key difference with the movie – its tone.
While Andor is a gritty political thriller, Rogue One still has more of an edge to it, but is less intense than the show.
"I watched Rogue One right after the finale of Andor and they really are played completely differently," says one person on Reddit. "The characters are paper thin in the movie compared to the depth they all get in the show, the pacing is far quicker and there's never a moment to [ruminate] on things. Now some of these are expected because one is a blockbuster movie and the other is a methodical serial television show so the very medium they're both in pretty much means they will feel different."
"When I rewatched Rogue One right after I finished Andor, I was struck by how mystical the former seemed in comparison to the latter," says another fan. The Force does play a part in Andor season 2, but in only a few scenes.
"The tonal changes between R1 and Andor have quite a bit to do with format and genre. One was a single movie, and the other a 24 episode series; one was basically a war movie focused on a specific action and the circumstances that led up to it, and the other was a political/espionage thriller. Also, there were differences in writing and production style that impacted tone for each," argues someone else.
"I find R1 waaaay colder and emotionally distant than Andor," says another person, while another says: "I cared about the characters in Andor and... not in the other"
"Cassian in Andor doesn't perfectly line up with Cassian in Rogue One, but it's close enough," says someone else.
"My biggest gripe with the Andor/Rogue One 'Trilogy' is that Rogue One uses the classic, lighter music and emotional themes. It has those momentary flashes of whimsy that the OT/PT/ST have. Also, while I loved C3PO and R2 on first release, their very brief presence did disrupt the flow a bit on rewatches, and after Andor, I actively dislike them showing up," is another person's take. "I know Andor Cut fixes most continuity errors that were introduced from what I understand, but it's unfortunate that the official release is so tonally different from Andor from purely an entertainment standpoint."
Andor season 2 ends just moments before Rogue One begins, with Cassian Andor setting off on the mission that will eventually lead to him helping steal the Death Star plans on Scarif.
Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which has a release window of early 2027. The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters.
You can keep up to date with everything else on the way with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.
